Ribbon control



c. DOLAN RIBBON CONTROL Dec. 19, 1944.

Filed A ril 1, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 tuvtu'rofi I CYRN. L. DOLAN WIgW Dec. 19, 1944.

c. L. DOLAN 2,365,254

RIBBON CONTROL Filed Apiil l, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I NVENTOR CYR\L L. DOLAN ATTORN Efb c. L. DOLAN RIBBON CONTROL Dec. 19, 1-944.

4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 1, 1942 INVENTOR CYRlL L. DOLAN Dec, 19, 1944.

c. L. DOLAN 2,365,254 RIBBON CONTROL Filed April 1, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ea 66 68 67 'H JErIE .8 ATTORNEY Patented Dec-. 1944 I UNITED STAT-ES 2-,aes.zs4 'nmaon common Cyril L. Dolan, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to The Emjtegister Company, Dayton, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application April 1, 1942, Serial No. 437,300

Claims.-

This invention relates to manifolding machinesv and, in particular, to machines such as typing,

adding or tabulating machines, adapted to make multiple copies of documents by means or ribbons or carbons.

leaved with copying ribbons between the paper sheets or'webs and travelling in a direction perpendicular: to the direction of motion of the sheets or webs. These ribbons are narrow strips oi carbon paper which are used only once while they pass through the machine and are then discarded. a

When a spool of such carbon ribbon becomes 1 empty, it is replaced by a full one, while the beginning of; the new ribbon is pasted to the end of the old ribbon, thereby saving the work of threading the ribbon through the machine. The provision of these carbon ribbons also eliminates the intricate mechanism for reversing the feed of the ribbons as is required when using the expensive-clothcopying ribbons. I

While the use of such carbon ribbons is generally satisfactory, it may happen that one of the carbon ribbon spools becomes empty while the machine continues its operation. In such an instance, the record would not show up on the respective copy.

When using carbon ribbons, particularly in heavy duty machines, it ma also happen that a carbon ribbon breaks while the machine remains in operation, in which instance the record would likewise be missing on the respective copy.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide controlling means in connec-- tion with a maniiolding machine of the above mentioned type, which will remedy the drawbacks outlined above;

It is another object of the invention to provide a control mechanism for ribbons in maniiolding machines, which will automatically bring the machine to a standstill when the spool of a copying ribbon becomes empty.

Another object of the invention consists in the provision of a ribbon control for use in.connection with manifolding machines which will auto-. matically stop the machine when a copying ribbon breaks.

It is a further object to provide a ribbon control for use in connection with electrically operated manifolding machines, in which the breakage'oi a copying-ribbon or the emptying of a spool for a copying ribbon will control the electric circuit of the machine so as-to stop the latter.

Still another object consists in the provision of a ribbon control for use in connection with 5 hand operated maniiolding machines, in. which the emptying 0! a spool for a copying ribbon or the breakage-oi a copying ribbon will automatically actuate means for temporarily preventing further operation of the machine.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a manifolding machine in connection .with which the control device of the present invention maybe used.

Figure 2 shows a side view of the lower portion of Figure l.

Figure 3 illustrates a side view of a control device according to the invention for use in connection with electrically operated manifolding machines.

Figure 4 shows the interior of the ribbon box v of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a section along the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 shows a slight modification 01 a part pertaining to the control device of Figures 3 to 5. Figure '7 is a section along the linel-l 015 Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a side view of a. second embodi- 'ment of the invention, which willstop'the machine not only when a ribbon spool becomes empty, but also when the copying ribbon breaks.

Figure 9 is a view along the line 9-9 of Fi ure 8.

Figure 10 shows, on a somewhat enlarged scale,

a section along the line Illlfl of Figure 9. v Figure 11 indicates an electric circuit for the control device of Figures 8 to 10.

, Figure 12 is a section along the line l2l2 of Figure 10. a

Figure 13 shows the invention in connection with a manually operable manifolding machine,

and

Figure 14 shows a section along the line ll-ll of Figure 13.

General arrangement The control device according to-the invention for temporarily preventing further operation of a manifoldingmachine in case a spool of a copying ribbon becomes empty, or if a copying ribbon breaks, comprises substantially a ribbon box in 55 which the spools are loosely arranged and from which the ribbons are passed by a member adopted to actuate stop means for the machine.

More specifically, according to one embodiment of the invention, the ribbons are passed by a member which, when a ribbon spool becomes empty, is directly engaged by the said ribbon spool 50 as to break the energizing circuit for an eleotromotor operating the maniiolding machine, thereby bringing said machine to a. standstill.

According to a second embodiment of the invention, tension means is provided which nor-- mally holds the ribbons tensioned, but which, in case a ribbon breaks, is free to move so as to break the energizing circuit for an electromotor operating the manifolding machine, thereby bringing the latter to a halt.

According to a third embodiment of the invention, which may be used in connection with manually operated manifolding machines, means is provided which, whena spool becomes empty or when a ribbon breaks, is so actuated as to prevent further operation of the keys pertaining to said manually operable manifolding machine.

Structural arrangement Referring now. to the drawings'in detail and to Figure 1 thereof in particular; the manifolding machine illustrated therein, which may be a tabulating machine, an adding machine, a tabulating and listing machine, or any other suitable type of machine capable of printing a record, comprises a base I carrying a feeler mechanism (not shown) for feeling perforations in cards which are introduced into the card receiver 2 along the board 3. The cards are introduced in stacks into the receiver 2 and from there are individually advanced toward an abutment ii. The abutment 4 is adapted to be actuated by each card and to be moved toward the stacker switch 5 for actuating the same. The base i furthermore supports a printing or typing device (not shown) of any standard design which, as is customary with automatically operated manifoldin'g machines, is actuated in accordance with the feeler mechanism feeling the perforations in the cards introduced into the card receiver so as to print corresponding records on a sheet 6 which is usually fed automatically by means of feeder chains 1.

While the printing on the original sheet 6 is preferably done by the intervention of a cloth ribbon 8, which rolls of! one spool, for instance spool 9, and is wound up on another spool, in this instance spool III, in the usual manner of typewriter ribbons, copies of the record on the original sheet 6' are made on sheets beneath the original sheet 6 by the intervention of paper i carbon ribbons ll, l2, l3 and I4 (Figure 3) which are fed transverse to the paper to be printed uponand behind the cloth ribbon 8. The paper to be printed on is to be fed over guidingrollers l5 and thereafter automatically drops into a tray it, from which the records and copies may be collected either manually or by any mechanism. The spools l1, l8, l9 and 20 for the carbon ribbons are located in a ribbon box.

2|, where they loosely rest on the bottom thereof.

The ribbon box 2i comprises a stationary cover portion--22 connected by means of a bracket 23 with the frame 24 of the manifolding machine, while another cover portion 25 is hinged to the cover portion 22 by means of a hinge 28. A spring 21 at the hinge 28 tends to hold the cover portion 25 in closed position.

ascent-1 The ribbons of the spools l1,-l8, l9 and 24 are passed through an opening 28 over the guiding rollers 29 behind the cloth ribbon 8 and then leave the machine at a place where the free ends may easily be detached. To keep the ribbons at a desired tension while they are actuated upon for making copies, it. is customary to provide sprockets which engage the free ends of the respective paper ribbons and feed the ribbons toward the outlet in the machine.

According to the invention, a mechanism is provided which automatically interrupts the operation of the manifolding machine in case one of the carbon ribbon spools becomes empty. Such an arrangement comprises substantially a frame member 30 which, by means of bent portions 3!, is guided on extensions-32 on the ribbon box 2|. The'frame member 3i) has' connected to its lower end a hook shaped portion 33 adapted to,

engage a resilient, arm 34 or a ribbon control switch, generally designated 35 which is connected to the frame member 24 in any convenient manner, for instance, by a screw 35a. The arm 34 carries a contact 38 and urges the latter into engagement with a contact 31 carried by an arm 38. The hook shaped portion 38 is adapted to disconnect the contwt 36 from the contact 31 when the frame member 30 is lifted, which may be eilected. by one of the carbon ribbon spools as soon as the latter becomes empty and is pulled toward the opening 28 by the carbon ribbon feeder in the manifolding machine.

The ribbon control switch 35, when closed, is adapted to connect the line 39 (Figure 11) with the line 4!], which latter leads to a contact 4i normally in engagement with the contact 42. The contacts M and i2 pertain to a control switch 43 which,'wh'en open, breaks the energizing circuit for the electromotor 44 actuating the mechanisms for the manifolding machine of Figure 1. line 45 with the main supply line 46, while the main supplyline d] is connected by line 48 with the electromotor M.

The stacker switch 5, which is normally in closed position, is adapted to connect the line 22 with the line 69 leading to the electromotor The control mechanism of Figures 3, 4 and 5, in connection with the manifolding machine of Figure 1, operates in the following manner:

It may be assumed that allspools for the carbon ribbons are filled and at the bottom of the ribbon box 2!, and that the original sheet 8 and the copies therefor are in their proper place and spaced from each other by the carbon ribbons from thesaid spools. 'Ihepperator then introduces a. stack of cards into the card receiver 2 and closes the control switch 43. This closes the energizing circuit for the electromotor 64 so that the latter begins to actuate the mechanisms in the manifolding machine of Figure 1. As a result thereof, the cards in the card receiver 2 are individually fed toward the abutment 4, while passing by a feeler mechanism which, in accordance to the perforations in the cards of the card stack, actuates a printing mechanism, which latter records on the original sheet 8. These records are simultaneously transferred, by means of the carbon ribbons to the copy sheets. Each time a line has been completed on the original sheet 6, the feeder chains 1 ad- Vance the sheet 8, together with the copies, by a predetermined distance. Each individual card of the card stack advances the abutment 4 by a The contact 42 is connected by apredetermined distance and when all cards have been fed by the feeler mechanism'and have been properly recorded, the abutment 4' has reached a position in which it actuates the stacker switch I so as to open the latter. This breaks the energizing circuit for the electromotor N which then comes to a standstill, thereby halting the entire machine. Now the operator may introduce a new stack of cards nd again start the machine in the manner previously described.

The completed sheets are collected on the tray is from where they are either automatically or manually removed. The free ends of the carbon ribbons leaving the manifolding machine at any .desired place, for instance at the point 50. in

Figure 1, are detached by the operator from time to time anddiscarded.

bon box '21 by means of a bracket ll. Otherwise, the operation of the modification shOWlTlll Figures 6 and 7 is the same as described in connec-.

tion with the arrangement of Figures 3 to 5.

Referring now to Figures 8 to 10 and 12, the

same describe a control device which will stop the manifolding machine to which it is connected,

. not only when one of the carbon ribbon spools If it should occur that, during the operation of the manifolding machine, one'of the. carbon invention in the followingmanner:

As soon as a carbon ribbon spool becomes empty, for instance, the carbon ribbon spool ll, the latter will, by the feeding mechanism of the manifolding machine, be pulled upwardly toward the opening 28 in the ribbon box 2i. As a result thereof, the empty ribbon spool will engage the frame member 30 and actuate the latter so that the hook shaped portion 33 on the lower end of the frame member 30 engages the resilient arm 34 so as,to disconnect the contact 36 from the contact 31. In this way, the energizing circuit for the electromotor 44 is broken, with the result that the manifolding machine comes to a, standstill.

The operator, familiar with the mechanism of the manifolding machine, will then first ope'n the control switch 43 and thereafter the ribbon box 2| and notice that one of the ribbon spools has become empty. He thereupon replaces the empty ribbon spool by a new spool and pastes the end of the old ribbon to the free end of the new ribbon, thereby saving the work of threading the ribbon though the machine. I

As soon as the old ribbon spool is removed from the frame member 30, the resilient arm 84 brings the contact 36 again into engagement with the contact 31 while simultaneously pulling the frame member 30 downwardly into its previous position. After the end of the old'carbon ribbon has been connected to the free end of the new carbon ribbon, the operator again closes the ribbon box 2| and the switch 43, thereby initiating a new cycle of the machine.

Referring to Figures 6 and 7, these figures show a slight modification-of a detail shown in Figures 4 and 5. More specifically, the frame member 30 of Figures 4 and 5 is replaced by a bar ii becomes empty, but also if it should happenthat, 1 I during the operation of the manifolding ma chine, one of the ,paper carbon ribbons breaks. The device of Figures 8 to 10 and 12 comprises a, ribbon box of the same construction as the ribbon box 2| and similar parts are, therefore,

designated by the same reference numerals so that no furtherrdescription thereof is necessary.

The ribbon box 2! of Figures 8 tom and 12 carries a switch of the same type as shown .in Figures 6 and 'l and has its parts designated with the same numerals as they appear in Figures 6 and 7. However, according to Figures 8 to 10 and 12, the ribbons leaving the ribbon box 2| are held under a predetermined tension by means of tensioning rollers 58, 80, SI and 62, which are continuously urged downwardly by means of springs 63. Each spring 63 has one end thereof in engagement with a lever, arm 64 of a lever 65, while the other arm 86 of the lever 65 is adapted to engage a bar 61 which is connected by arms 68 (Figure 12) with a frame 69 extending through the opening 28 into the ribbon box 2|. The other. ends of the springs 83 are connected to respective pins I0 in a shaft II which is supported by arms I! connected in any desired manner, for instance by screws 13', with the ribbon box 2|. The levers I are rotatable about the shaft I l. I

The arms 68, rigidly connected to the frame are rotatable about th shaft II. The upperbar ll of the frame 69 is adapted to engage the arm 53 carrying the contact so as to disconnect the contact 55 from the contact 56. The lower arm I! of the frame 69 is adapted to be engaged by an empty carbon ribbon spool in the same manner as described in connection with Figures 3 to 6.

Th device of Figures 8 to 10' and 12 may be,

operated in connection with the manifolding machine of. Figure land the circuit shown in Figure 11, in' which instance the switch 35 is replaced by the switch 35' comprising the switch elements 53 to 51. To this end, the operator again starts the manifolding machin of Figure 1 in the manwith the arm 53 of insulating material, which 7 arm is connected-to a spring. The arm II carries a contact 55 corresponding to the contact 38 of Figure 4 and continuously urged into en'- gagement with thecontact 58 corresponding to the contact 31 of-Figure 4.

The contact as is carried by an arm n of in sulating material, which arnf is connected to the v bon ribbon breaks, it will be obvious that the rener previously described, If it should now happen that, during the operation of the machine, a carbon ribbon spool becomes empty, the latter will be lifted in the I same manner as previously described in connec ly described, so that the manifolding machine comes to a standstill and the operator may replace the empty spool by a new one in the manner likewise described above.

If it should happen that, during the" operationof the manifolding machine of Figure 1, one carspective ribbon can no longer counteract the thrust of the respective spring ll so that the latter shifts the respective lever. in clockwise dispring at. The spring a is carried by the ribrection. This causes them it to, engage the bar 81 so as to swing the arm 88 and, thereby, the frame 89 about th shaft ll. As a result thereof, the bar 15 of frame 89 engages the arm 53 and causes the contact 88 to disengage the contact 88, thereby breaking the energizing circuit for the elec'tromotor M. The electromotor i4 thereupon comes to a halt and, consequently, also the manifolding machine of Figure 1 must stop. The operator will then open the switch 8 and may then paste together the ends of the broken ribbon to bring the respective lever 68 intoits previous position, thereby conditioning the manifolding machine for further operation.

' The control device of the present invention, el-

. though described so far in connection with autotiate a recording operation. According to Figure 13, each of the keys I6 is connected with a lever ll provided with aprotruding portion or tongue 18, in a manner similar to the key levers of standard typewriters. The manifolding machine of Figure 13 furthermore comprises a stop member 19 which is rotatably connected to the shaft 89,

for instance by welding or by a key, and is continuously urged by a weak spring 81 into a position in which it does not prevent the downward movement of the levers IT. The spring Bi has one end connected to the stop member I9, while the other end is preferably connected to a stationary point 82 on a frame portion 83 of the manifoiding machine.

The shaft 89 is provided with a crank 85 which, in its turn, is pivotally connected to a rod 88 by means of a pin 88. The rod 85 is pivotally connected by a pin 81 with the arm 88 of a two-arm lever 89 and pivotable about the pivot 88. The

I pivot 99 is carried by a bracket 9| connected by screws 92 to the ribbon box ii. The arm 93 of the lever 89 has a fork shaped portion 98 straddling a pin 95 carried by an arm 88a. The arm 68a corresponds to one of the arms 88 of the arrangement of Figures 8 to 10 and 12 and is shiftable in the same manner as the latter about a shaft lla corresponding to the shaft H of Figures 9, 10 and 12.

The ribbon box 2| of Figure 13 is likewise provided with arms 12a corresponding to the arm i2 and carrying theshaft 1 la about which are pivotally arranged levers 85a, the construction of which fully corresponds to that of the levers 85 and which levers are adapted to actuate a bar 67a corresponding to the bar 61 of Figure 10 and a frame 89a corresponding to the frame 89 of Figure 12.

The control device of Figure 13 following manner:

It may be assumed that an operator actuates the keys 16 to perform a recording and manifold- 1 to 12, thereby actuating the frame 890. so as to shift the arm 88a in clockwise direction about the operates in the shaft Ha. This movement of the arm 8811 causes the pin 98 connected thereto to shift the lever 89 in anticlockwise direction which, in its turn, actuates through rod the crank 84 so as to move the stop member 19 beneath the protruding portions or tongues 18 of thekey levers IT. This immediately prevents the levers II and thereby also the keys '16 from being depressed by the operator, thereby making further operation of the manifoiding machine impossible. The operator may then open the'ribbon box 2|, replace the empty ribbon spool by a new one, paste together the ends of the new ribbon and the old ribbon, and recondition the manifolding machine for further operation.

It will be understood that, as soon as the new spool is resting on the bottom of the ribbon box 2!, the spring 8| returns the stop member 18 to its initial position, shown in Figure 13, thereby also returning the rod 85 and lever 89 to their initial positions. The lever 1'1 may then again be shifted and the operator may now continue the operation of the machine by actuating the keys 18.

If, during the operation of the machine, a ribbon should break, the respective spring pertaining to the tensioning rollers for the broken ribbon will then actuate the bar 8111' in the same manner as described in connection with the operation of the structure shown in Figures 8 to 10 and 12, so that the lever 89, by means of the rod 85, again moves the stop member 19 beneath the tongues 18 so as to prevent further operation of the keys '18. The operator may then rectify the situation in the same manner as previously described in connection with Figures 8 to 10 and 12, whereupon the stop member 'l'9 .will automatically'return into its Figure 13 position and allow the operator to continue his operation of the machine.

It will be understood that I desire to comprehend within my invention such modifications as come within the scope of the claims and the in- "said ribbon mounted adjacent to said spool means for preventing the further operation of said machine in response to the breakage or exhaustion of said ribbon, said control means comprising a first means operated by ribbon tension and a second means operated by displacement of said floating spool means by lift of said ribbon, a common pivot for said first and second named means, and a common actuator member for said control means operated by said first and second "named means.

2. In a printing machine, a ribbon feeding mechanism therefor comprising floating spool means, a ribbon carried on and attached to said spool means, a control means operated by said ribbon mounted adjacent to said spool means for preventingthe further operation of said machine in response to the breakage or exhaustion of said ribbon, said control means comprising a first means operated by ribbon tension and a second means operated by displacement of said floatingspool means by lift of said ribbon, a common pivot for said first and second named means, and a common actuator member for said control means operated by said first and second named means, said actuator member forming a for said second named means.

3. In a printing machine. a' ribbon feeding mechanism therefor comprising floating spool means, a ribbon carried on an attached to said spool means, a control means operated by said ribbon mounted adjacent to said spool means for,

preventing the further operation of said ma-- 'chine in response to the breakage or exhaustion of said ribbon, said control means comprising a named means, said control means operated by ribbon tension means having an arm extending on opposite sides of said common pivot.

1. In a printing machine, a ribbon feeding mechanism therefor comprising floating spool means, a ribbon carried on and attached to said spool means, a control means operated by said ribbon mounted adjacent to said spool means for preventing the further operation of said machine in response to the breakage o1- exhaustion of said ribbon, said control means comprising a first means operated by ribbon tension and a-secondmeans operated by displacement of said'fioating spool means by lift of said ribbon, a common pivot support for said first and second named means, and a common actuator member for said control means operated by said first and second named means, said pivot forming mounting means for said first and second named means, means providing-independent limited rotational movement about said pivot of said first and second named means.

5. In a printing machine, a ribbon feeding mechanism therefor comprising floating spool means, a ribbon carried on and attached to said spool means, a control means operated by said ribbon mounted adjacent to said spool means for preventing the further operation of said machine in response to the breakage or exhaustion of said ribbon, said control means comprising a firstmeans operated by ribbon tension and a second means operated by displacement of said floating spool means by lift of said ribbon, a common pivot for said first and second named means, and a common actuator member for said control means operated by said first and second named means, said control means operated by ribbon tension having an arm extending on opposite sides of said common pivot, one of said arms having a contact means for contacting a ribbon and meansbiasing said contact means toward said ribbon and about said pivot; and the other armoperatively connected with said actuator.

CYRIL L. VDYOVLAN. 

